Google Chrome & Android Will 'Remain Separate for a Very Long Time'

Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt has squashed talk that the company will combine its Android and Chrome divisions, after recent boardroom shuffles had fueled speculation that a merger was on the cards.

Speaking at a press event in India as part of his ongoing tour of Asia, Schmidt assured the media that the company was not planning to merge its two major mobile efforts into a single brand.

Last week, Google said that Andy Rubin would be stepping down from his post as head of Android and handing the responsibility over Sundar Pichai, who also runs the Chrome division. The move prompted speculation that the two platforms were growing closer and would be merging into a single brand sooner rather than later.

Despite now being run by a single manager, however, Schmidt insists that Google has no imminent plans to fold Android into Chrome or vice-versa.

"We don't make decisions based on who the leader is, we make the decisions on Google based on where the technology takes us," Schmidt said. "There will be more commonality for sure, but they are certainly going to remain separate for a very long time."

Since their early introductions, both Chrome and Android have grown from company-side projects to two of the largest and most visible brands under the Google banner.

Researchers have estimated that globally Chrome holds some 37 percent of the browser market, while Android has in many markets surpassed Apple's iOS as the most popular smartphone brand.

Though the Chrome OS project has yet to gain much market traction, Google has persuaded some major vendors to dip their toes into the market by offering models which support the platform as an entry-level notebook.